1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to board games of the type which simulate a sailboat race. Typically, board games of this type are played by moving game pieces on the surface of a playing board in response to a chance event such as a roll of a pair of dice. The game pieces are moved to simulate a race on a course which is illustrated on the game board as a simulated body of water.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of board games are available which allow the players to engage in a simulated sailboat race which takes place on the surface of a playing board. Sailboat racing board games should provide a means for indicating the various events which may actually occur in a real life sailboat race. For example, the game, if it is to simulate the genuine experience of racing a sailboat, should provide a means for indicating the configuration of the course and the direction of the wind. In addition, there should be provided a suitable game board surface which allows the players to select various courses in relationship to the wind direction and to be able to select these courses as part of an overall strategy to win the race. The game should also provide the players with the same types of problems encountered in a real sailboat race so that the players can experience the thrill of racing to victory in the face of the types of problems encountered in a real race.
Sailboat racing games should also provide the players with the same types of occurrences experienced in a real race. The game should also provide the players with some sort of decision making opportunities so that the players can develop a strategy to win the race. Preferably, the decision making should involve taking certain risks which can either help or hinder their efforts, depending upon the outcome of the risk factor. Ideally, the players should have some control over the taking of these risks and, thus, they should have the option of taking a more conservative, less risky course or taking a course involving more risk which could enhance their speed and allow them to win the race. Also, to some extent, random occurrences should play some role in the outcome of the race, regardless of the strategy employed by the players since in real races unfortunate or fortunate events can occur despite the best sailing tactics, equipment or crew. The sailboat game should incorporate these types of factors in an uncomplicated manner so that players of many different age groups can easily play the game.
One such type of sailboat race game is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,455,519. The sailboat race game described in this patent utilizes a game board which is marked off into squares. Players advance their game pieces, which are in the shape of sailboats, from one square to the next a given number of squares in accordance with a number generated by a chance event such as the roll of a pair of dice. The game board has a wind direction indicator, a starting line and a finishing line. In addition, the board has markings thereon which indicate the course the boats must take to complete the race.
In spite of all the provisions utilized in U.S. Pat. No. 2,455,519, the game fails to provide certain aspects which could make the game more realistic while also being easy to use. For example, the game board uses a grid work which forms a set of squares, all of which are oriented in the same direction. As a result of this orientation, a player when "sailing" his game piece in a typical triangular sailboat race course, particularly a course in the shape of an equilateral triangle, will be forced to move from square to square in a diagonal direction during at least one leg of the race if he wishes to reach his destination as quickly as possible. For example, if the wind is out of the north and the squares are formed by the intersection of north/south and east/west lines, then when a player needs to sail in a northerly direction he is forced to tack in alternate north-east and north-west directions since a sailboat cannot sail directly into the wind. As a result, the players must advance their pieces diagonally from one square to the next through the corners of each square during the tacking maneuver. Such a movement is difficult to accomplish visually because the eye is easily distracted when trying to advance through the squares diagonally. Consequently, players may easily miscount the squares or not move their pieces in a straight line.
Another deficiency with respect to all the squares being oriented in the same direction relates to the loss of realism when a boat tacks diagonally through the corners of each square. In a real sailboat, tacking is used to move the boat in an upward direction. Usually, a boat with the sails properly set, can sail or point into the wind at about a 45.degree. angle. However, the amount of time it takes to move the boat a given distance directly upwind is greater than the time it would take to sail the boat the same distance if the wind were blowing in a move favorable direction such is at a 90.degree. angle relative to the direction of the boat. The game should simulate this condition by assuring that tacking requires the boat to pass through a greater number of squares to go from a first square to a second square which lies directly upwind in relationship to the first square, than it would take to go directly in a straight line from the first square to the second square. This does not occur when tacking requires a player to pass diagonally from square to square through the corners of each square.
The use of squares in a sailboat game board is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,474,539 and 2,572,412. These patents use a similar set of squares, all of which are oriented in the same direction and, thus, suffer from the same disadvantages found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,455,519.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,500,782 discloses a game board for a sailboat race wherein the course is generally triangular in shape and marked off by buoys. This game board does not provide an array of squares but instead relies on a rigid set of lines and circles to define a course. As a result, the players are not given much opportunity to experience the decision making aspects of a real sailboat race.
U.S. Pat. No. 375,419 discloses a sailboat board game which has a narrow race course. The narrow race course requires the players to keep their game pieces on a track and it does not allow the players to choose their own course. Consequently, this arrangement deprives the players of an essential feeling of realism required by games of this type.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,434,984 utilizes a game board having a complex array of unconnected squares, circles and hexagons. This game is difficult to use since it does not use a simple pattern of squares which would make playing far easier.
None of the prior art sailboat games provides a simple arrangement of squares and the like which allows the players to experience a wide variety of simulated sailboat racing conditions, nor do these prior art games allow a player to exercise numerous strategic decisions in a simplified manner. Accordingly, a need exists in the art to provide an improved simulated sailboat racing game which incorporates the desired features described above.